Skip-hoist



D. s. REYNOLDS.

SKIP HOIST.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I7, 1919.

Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

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Il ll D. s. REYNOLDS.

SKIP HOIST.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I7. I9I9.

Patented Dec. 2,1919.

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i D. S. REYNOLDS.

SKIP Hom.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17| 19|9. 1,323,91 l Patented Dec. 2,1919.

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D. S. REYNOLDS.

SKIP HOIST.

MPL1CAT10N-F1LED MAY 17, 1919.

Patented Dec. 2, 1919.

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1' AES AENT OFFCE.v

:DAVID s. REYNOLDS, oEBosroN, MASSACHUSETTS.

SKIP-HOIST.

Specication of Letters Patent.

l Application filed Ivay 17, 1919. Serial No. 297,874.

. prising one or more buckets or skips, and a reversible steam hoisting engine.

The object of the invention is to *provide improved automatic means for starting, stopping and reversing the hoisting engine in such manner as to automatically maintain a cycle of operations, the cycle including an automatic dwell or stoppage ofthe skip at each end of its vertical path, to afford time for loading and dumping, and an automatic reversal of the motion of the skip after each stoppage. This is accomplished by means embodying my invention without vthe employment-of clutches and other complicated mechanism.

` The invention is embodied in the improvements which will now proceed to describe and claim.

Y, Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speciicatiom- Figure 1 is an elevation of one side ofa steam skip ho-ist embodying the invention.

Fig. 1a is a fragmentary view, showing parts of the torque-transmitting mechanism. Fig. 2 is an elevation 0f another side of. the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlargement of a part of the upper portion of Fig. 2.

i Fig. 4 isan enlargement ofv a part Vof the upper portion of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectionV on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation showing parts of the actuating mechanism hereinafter described.'

Fig.V 7 is an end elevation of parts shown by Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is an enlargement of the parts similarly designated in Fig.-4.

Figs.v 10 and 11 are sectional views of the retarding device hereinafter described.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary elevation illustrating modifications.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

In-the embodiment ofY the `invention shown REYNOLDS,

by Figs. l, 2, 3, 4, and 5, two skips are employed., each acting like'theother to start, stop, and reverse a hoistingv engine, through the actuating mechanism hereinafter described. 12 represents a shaft having the hoisting drums 13, to which are attached the cables .14, supporting the skips 16, saidV cables passing over the guiding lpulleys 17.

The shaft 12 is driven by a reversible steam hoisting engine, preferably of the Dake` type, shown by LettersA Patent No. 363,368, May 24, 1887, and895,039, December 25, 1888. The engine is shown conventionally by Figs. 1 and 1% iny which 18 designates the casing, and 19 the shaftk of the engine. inlet 18a and exhaust outlet 18b areshown by'dotted lines in Fig. 6. Any suitable torque-transmitting connections maybe provided between the engine sli-aft land the drum shaft. As here shown, theseconnections include a worm 2O on the engine shaft, and a worm gear 21 on the drum shaft.

My invention resides chiefly in the skipcontrolled means hereinafter described for automatically starting, stopping and reversing the engine, and' through the latter the drum shaftand the skip.

The operation ofthe engine is controlled by a movable :eXternalcontrolling member which', as here shown, is embodied in an arm 24 'attached to arock-shaft 23'l and pro.- vided' with a wrist-pin 25, said rock-shaft being connected with any suitable valve Patented nec. 2,1919.

The engine casing and itssteam v mechanism with which-the engine is provided. Although I do not limit myself to a hoisting engine of the Dake type, this typev is a suitable one, and since it is well known, I do not deem it necessary to illustrate the valve mechanismthrough which an external controlling member, such as the oscillatory arm 24, acts to start, stop, and reverse the engine. The arm 24 successively occupies the three positions shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6.' When the arm is in the right hand position, the engine shaft is driven in one direction, andwhen the arm is inthe left hand position, they engine shaft vis driven in the opposite direction. When the arm is in the intermediate or-neutral position, the engine shaft -is at rest.

A terminal member which Icall the inner terminal member, is employed as a partf of the actuating mechanism hereinafter described, to act directly on thecontroll'ing member 24 and imparti. thereto the-'changes of position above described. Said inner terminal member is preferably a slide 26 having an angular slot engaging the wrist-pin of the controlling member and movable in a fixed guide 27. Said slot has two end portions `28 and 28EL and an intermediate '29, and is reciprocated in the operating cylinder by `steam admitted alternately at opposite ends of 7the operating-cylinder by skip-actuated means vhereinafter described. The slide 26 is reciprocated by the piston 30, and the angular slot causes the armV 24 to .assumethe different successive positions above described. The wrist-pin 25 occupies the slot portion 28 when the slide is at one end of its stroke. A movement of the slide tothe left from the position shown by Fig. 6 causes the slot portion 28 to swing the arm 24-to its neutral position, and bring the wrist-pin 25 into the pathof the slot portion 28h. Y The arm 24 then remains stationary and the engine shaft at rest, until the slot portion 28a reaches the wrist-pin, whereupon, the arm 24 is moved to the left hand position (Fig. 6). The length of the longitudinal slot portion is such that the arm 24 and theiengine shaft are caused to dwell or remain stationary while a skip is'being unloaded and loaded.

The skip-operated means causing the reciprocation of thepiston 30 will now ,be described. v f

32 represents a valve cylinder which receives steam through a central conduit l33, and is connected by conduits 34 and 35 with opposite ends of the operating cylinder, the ends of the latter being provided with valved drip outlets;31b.`- Tithin the valve cylinder is a piston` valve 36, composed of'two spaced apart heads having a sliding fit in the cylinder, and a reduced intermediateportion 37 connecting said heads. The piston valve is fixed to a rod 39 movable in a stuiiing-box 40, at one end of the valve cylinder.AY The cylinder 32 is provided at its ends with exhaust outlets 322L to the atmosphere. v' I 5 The inner terminal member or slide 26,

the operating cylinder 31, the piston 30, the

piston rod 29, -tlievalve cylinder 32, and the piston valve therein constitute elements of an actuating mechanism for causing the controlling member 24 to start, stop, and reverse the engine, said actuating mechanism including also the outer :terminal member hereinafter described, which is movable by a skip, and acts through suitable connections on the rod 39 of the piston valve 36.

valve rod 39, as best. shown by Figs. l,

terminal member above mentioned is preferably embodied in a curvedlever 51, nor- Y mally standing in the path of a skip wheel 43, and attached to a rock-shaft 53 which is journaled in fixed bearings 55. To the rock-shaft 53 is fixed an arm 56, the outer end of which isv pivoted tothe connecting rod 46. In a double skip hoist Itwo of the terminal members yor levers 51 and two rock- 85 shafts 53 are employed, one extending upward, and the other downward from its rock-shaft 53 as shown by Figs. 3 and 4. Said rock-shafts are connected and causedl to rock in unison by links 57 pivoted'to the outer ends of arms 56 and 58, on 'the rockshafts, as best shown by Fig. 3. Y

The operation of the mechanism thus far described is as follows:VV

It isl assumed that the engine is ruiming V and that one skipis loaded and rising, and Y Y the other empty and descending, the controlling member 24 being at one of the extremes of its movement shown byFig. V6. When the Vascending skip reaches itsA dischargingposition, it is automatically tipped, as usual in skip hoists, as shown at the upper portion of Fig. 1, its contents being discharged onto an incline 61. `Just before-'the tipping of,l the skip, a skip wheel strikes the terminal member or lever 51 in its path, and displaces said lever from its normal position, thus causing a movement of the piston valve 37, to a position causing a movement of' the piston 30 in the operating cylinder, and of the 110 slide 26 connected therewith. The slide first moves the controlling member 24to its neutral position and allows itto remain at .rest in said position while the slot portion 28b is passing over thewrist-pin 25, so that the engine stopsfor a period determined byv the length of the slot portion andfsuflicient to permit vthe discharge of the contents of the skip and the loading ofthe other skip before the engine is reversed by the slide, this re- 126 versal occurring when the slide reaches the. endof itsl stroke. VThereversal of the en gine causes the skipto descend,the engine being again stopped by themeans described while the skip is being charged.V Y Y Y Figs.v 10 and 11 show a liquidcontrolled retarding device connected with the steamactuated means to suitably check or retard the movements ofthe piston 30 and slide 26.' Said device comprises@ .dash-P01165 @lined 130 with theoperating cylinder 31, and af piston 66 having a sliding fit in the dash-pot, the piston-being attached to an extension 2.9a-"of the piston rod 29.-4 The` dash-poticontains l a lsuitable non-congealable liquid, whichr` may be oil or otherfliqui'd, and is provided with a valvedY by-p'ass y17,- connecting -its 'ends and preferably withl v'alved supplementalf bypasses 68, connecting the ley-pass 67 with pointsJbet-ween the; ends of the dash-pot, these by-pas'sespermitting.any desired regulation 'offthe'flowof liquid.

Figlshowsfa suitablearrangement of theskip-operated terminal members for a single Vskip hoist.- In this modili'cation two curved levers or terminalmembers 51a`are located at differentheightsin' the skip guide 'and areconnected'by rock-shafts 53a` and armsra with an elongated connectingrod 46d i Said rodis connected by armslia, 41a and a rock-'shaft 42a with the valve rod` 39. Vhen the skip. ascends it actson the upper lever 51a, and when the'skip descendait acts 'on' the lower lever, the'result ofthe displacement of each leverby the yskip being as already describedi The construct-ion of the skips and their guides,y andthe means for tipping'theV skips involves nothingclainied by me. n

As implied in thejforegoingdescription and in the following claims, I ain not limited to the specic mechanism" of the preferred embodiment of my improvements shown by the drawings, except as otherwise required in certain of the more limited claims.

It is obvious that any suitable fluid under pressure, such as compressed air, may be used as the working agent.

The hoisting engine maybe an'electric engine, or any suitable reversible prime motor.

I claim:

1. A skip hoist comprising a reversible hoisting engine, having an external controlling member, a skip movable by the engine,

Vand controlling-member-actuating mechanism actuated 'by iluid pressure and controlled by the skip, said mechanism including means adapted to successively move said controlling member to a position .to start the engine in one direction, a position to stop the engine, and a position to reverse or start the engine in the opposite direction, said means having provisions for causing a dwell of the controlling member in its stopping position to afford time for loading and unloading the skip.

2. A skip hoist comprising a skip, a reversible engine connected with the skip, and including a movable external controlling member forming a part of the starting, stopping and reversing mechanism of the engine, and actuating mechanism organized to cause said controlling member to successively assuine a position to start the engine in one direction, a position to lstop the engine, and i a position ytofreverse or start the enginein the opposite direction, and to maintainth'e controlling member in its stopping position for predetermined period, said actuating mechanism including an` outer terminal member, in the path of the skipy and movable by the latter, an inner terminal member engaged with the engine-controllingmember and Vadapted to move the latter to the said successive positions, pressure-actuated means formovingsaid inner 'terminal member, and y pressuie-directing` 'means controlled by said outer terminal member whereby saidpressure-actuated means is caused to reciprocate skip and movable by the latter, arrecipiocatoryl slidefengaged withfsaid? control-ling member 'and adaptedl tofmove--thel latter y'to said successive positions, pressure-actuated means for reciprocating said slide, and pressure-directing means controlled-by said terminal member, whereby said pressureactuated means is caused to reciprocate the slide.

4. A skip hoist as specified in claim 3, said .slide being provided with an angular slot composed of end portions formed to engage and move said controlling member, Aand an intermediate portion formed to permit the controlling member to remain at rest in a neutral position for a predetermined period.

5. A skip hoist as specified by claim 3, said actuating mechanism including a piston rod attached to said slide, a piston in said rod, an operating cylinder in which said piston is movable, a valve cylinder having a centrally located pressure inlet, and exhaust outlets at its ends, conduits connect- -ing the valve cylinder with opposite ends of the operating cylinder, a valve movable in the valve cylinder, a rod attached to said valve, and connections between said rod and the skip-operated terminal member. l

6. A skip hoist as specified by claim 3, said actuating mechanism including a piston rod attached to said slide, a piston in said rod, an 'operating ycylinder in which said piston is movable, a valve cylinder having a centrally located pressure inlet, and exhaust outlets at its ends, conduits connecting the valve cylinder with opposite ends of the, operating cylinder, a valve movable in versiblecngine connected with the skip, and

including a movable externalcontrolling member forming a part of the starting, stopping, and reversing mechanism of the en gine, actuating mechanism causing said controllingV member. to v successively assume a position to start; the engine in one direction, a position to stop the engine forv a predetermined period, anda position to reverse or start the engine in the oppositel direction, said actuating mechanism including a terminal member in the pathY of the skip and movable by the latter, a reciprocatory slide engaged withjfsaid'controlling member and adapted to move the latter to said successive positions, pressure-actuated means for reciprocating said slide, and pressure-direct-V ing means controlled by said terminal mem,-

ber, whereby said pressure-actuated means is caused to reciprocate. the slide, and a liquid controlled retarding device connected with the said pressure-actuated means to retar the movements of said slide.v 8. A skip hoist comprising a skip, a reversible engine connected with the skip, and

including amovable external controlling e member forming a part. of the starting, stop; ping, and lreversing mechanism of thevengine, actuating mechanism causing said ,controlling member to successively assume. a position to start thesengine in one direction, a position to stop the enginejfor a prede'- termined period, 'and' a position to vreverse or start the engine in the opposite direction, said actuating mechanism including a terminal member in the path of the skip and movable by the latter, a reciprocatory slide en# gaged with` said controlling memberV and adapted to move the Vlatter to said successive positions, lpressure-actuated means for reciprocating said slide, and'pressure-directmg means controlled by said terminal member, whereby said pressure-actuated means is caused to reciprocate the slide, a dash-pot constituting an element or a liquid-controlled retarding device, vand provided with a bypass, said dash-pot being in alinement with the operating cylinder, andthe said'piston rod being `extended throughV the dash-pot,

and a piston on said rod within the dash-pot. In testimony whereof I have aixed my signature. v Y l Y 'DAVID 

